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Tuesday, November 6, 2012

RSS leader says law will take its own course against Gadkari

The Joint General Secretary of the
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Dattatreya Hosabale, has said that the law
will take its course on allegations of corruption levelled against Bharatiya
Janata Party president Nitin Gadkari, and added that those who are found
guilty, should be punished.

He was speaking on trhe sidelines of a three-day RSS Executive Council
meeting here on Friday.

The RSS leadership is meeting to deliberate on various issues of
national importance, including illegal migration from Bangladesh and security
situation in the country.

Hosabale said they are not discussing issues related to BJP in this
meeting.

"The General Secretary of RSS has already issued a statement that
if there is any allegation against anybody, the due process of law should take
place and those who are found guilty should be punished according to the law.
The same stand continues and we are not going to discuss the BJP issues
here," said Hosabale.

According to media reports, Gadkari was alleged of having business links
with Ajay Sancheti, a lawmaker. Also, that Sancheti was given a special deal
for a coalmine in the BJP-ruled central Madhya Pradesh state because of his
association with Gadkari.

Recently, a coal scam had hit the country and the affair had washed out
the just concluded monsoon session of parliament over the report of the
Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) tabled in the upper house of Indian
parliament.

The CAG had alleged under-priced sales of coalfields that may have cost
the exchequer as much as $33 billion in revenues.

On this issue, the Bharatiya Janata Party had demanded the resignation
of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who handled the portfolio of Coal Ministry
between 2006-2009, when a majority of the allocations were sanctioned.

Hosabale said that there was need to take stringent action against the
corrupt irrespective of their political parties.

"Nitin Gadkari is a Sangha swayamsevak (volunteer) and like in the
family, Nitin Gadkari also meets RSS office bearers and talk to people of RSS
and such discussions take place. It is not a child's play anyhow, if something
is happening in the society, we also discuss. But as far as the issues of
corruption by anybody, whether it is Congress or any other person or BJP, we
have been always been telling that the due process should take place,
allegations should be answered properly and that we have already said,"
Hosabale said.

Hosabale added that the RSS has no soft corner for anybody and their
yardstick for corruption is same for everyone.

"Why single out Gadkari about the land acquisition. There may be
hundred others also. We are not going to discuss case wise or person wise. We
are going to discuss the policy of the land acquisition. Who ever come within
that will have to stand before the law. We are not giving any soft corner to
anybody. We go by the policy and we have been stressing on that. Land
acquisition or corruption or any other issue, we don't have different
yardsticks. RSS views are that the country's interest and the nation's interest
is supreme, public morality is supreme for us and accordingly we deal with
things," said Hosabale.

Kejriwal had recently accused Gadkari of having a huge business empire
in Maharashtra, and alleged that the former and NCP leader Ajit Pawar were
hand-in-glove with each other in the irrigation scam.

Earlier Anjali Damania, close aide of anti-graft crusader cum politician
Arvind Kejriwal had alleged that Gadkari had acquired 100 acre of farmers' land
through dubious means for his private trust although he refuted these charges.

Gadkari was recently charged for illegally acquiring government land and
for running a fake investment company.

A probe is being undertaken by the ministry of corporate affairs and
income tax officials on whether the BJP party chief's vast financial empire is
funded by ghost investors.

According to the report in the media, 18 companies which own 80 percent
of the shares in Purti Group, owned by Gadkari, are not located on the
addresses mentioned on the website of the company.

Managing director of Purti group, Sudhir Dive had out rightly dismissed
corruption allegations against Gadkari, adding that he resigned from the
company 14 months ago.

Hosabale said the country needs a change for the better.

"The people of this country want a change, change for the better
and earlier it was the best that is what the RSS feels," said Hosabale.

Over the past few months, a string of recent multi-billion dollar
corruption scandals have sparked Indian middle class anger over the federal
government's abysmal track record in curbing graft.

Corruption is part of daily life in India - from bribes paid for
something as simple as getting a gas connection, passport or avoiding a traffic
violation, to multi-billion-dollar scandals.

Political parties are perceived to be the most corrupt institutions by
Indians, according to Transparency International's Global Corruption Barometer
in 2011.

A recent survey of upper house lawmakers by National Election Watch
found their average net worth stood at around USD 2.3 million. Lawmakers earn
around USD 900 a month. (ANI)